Mohawk Valley Community College

Utica

MVCC Utica Campus; Academic Building

Established in 1946 to help train and educate veterans returning from World War II, Mohawk Valley Community College has evolved to become New York State’s first community college, the largest college between Syracuse and Albany, and the region’s primary provider of college education and non-credit training.

MVCC was founded as the New York State Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences in Utica. The Institute was located in the Country Day School, then located on Genesee Street in New Hartford, New York, near the present headquarters of Utica National Insurance. MVCC was one of five post-secondary institutions established to provide technical training for New York State residents, especially returning GIs.

The Utica Institute specialized initially in retail business management and had a reported enrollment of 53 students on opening day, Oct. 14, 1946. More than two-thirds of the first students were veterans and tuition was free for New York residents. The school’s first Director was Paul B. Richardson.

In its early days, MVCC adapted its programs to fit the needs of area industries, allowing students to have a significant and immediate impact on the area. The textile program gave students the ability to aid in solving some problems plaguing factories in the Northeast. When they started shutting down and electrical/metal-working companies began to move in, MVCC changed its curricula to adapt. MVCC was able to train students to perform in a variety of manufacturing activities from drafting and design to quality control. The courses also helped them develop the manual skills needed in such industries.

A second location was opened in 1948 in the former Utica Steam Cotton Mill and housed programs in mechanical, electrical, and textile technology.

The Institute became a part of the State University System in 1950 and the name was changed to the State University of Applied Arts & Sciences at Utica.

In 1952, the State developed the ‘community college plan’ under which the institutes could remain open only if a local sponsor took responsibility for them and they were converted to community colleges. Under this plan, the State no longer provided 100 percent of the funding, but reduced its operational support to one-third, with the rest coming from the local sponsor and student tuition. Capital support was reduced to 50 percent with the local sponsor responsible for the other half.

This created some challenges for the Utica Institute because a majority of the students came from other parts of New York. The problem was solved with a compromise chargeback system in which other counties whose students attended one of the community colleges would pay a chargeback fee to the institution. This remains the basis of community college funding in New York State today.

In 1953, the Institute became Mohawk Valley Technical Institute, a community college sponsored by Oneida County. Albert Payne was appointed as the Institute’s first chief administrator with the title of President.

Over the next decade, the number and variety of instructional programs continued to grow, including several in non-technical areas. The Institute was renamed Mohawk Valley Community College in 1963 to reflect this shift in emphasis.

By 1978, MVCC was generating more than $34 million in business volume annually in Oneida County, and providing the equivalent of 2,249 full-time jobs.

The main campus on Sherman Drive opened in 1960 and was designed by famed architect Edward Durell Stone, whose world-class projects included Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Initial construction included the Academic Building, Physical Education Building and College Center. All have been extensively renovated and expanded over the years.

MVCC built its first four residence halls in 1966—making it the first New York community college with on-campus housing—and added a fifth in 2005. Other buildings have been added, including Payne Hall in 1969, a science and technology building in 1989, and the Information Technology/Performing Arts/Conference Center in 2001.

In 2011, the 112,000-square-foot Robert R. Jorgensen Athletic/Events Center was opened on the Utica campus. The facility is named in honor of the school’s long-time Athletic Director and Professor Emeritus. It features a 6,000-square-foot Fitness Center, a Field House with the capacity to host 3,000 people, and many other amenities including three basketball/volleyball/tennis courts and an indoor tenth-of-a-mile track.

In 2011, Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. completed a report, “Economic Contribution of Mohawk Valley Community College: Analysis of Investment Effectiveness and Economic Growth,” which showed that MVCC’s net contribution to regional income was $31.5 million through college operations, $18.6 million through the “student spending effect,” and $171.3 million through the “student productivity effect^[2]”

Rome

MVCC Rome Campus; Plumley Complex

At the request of the Air Force, MVCC began instruction at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome in the early 1950s. Some classes were held on base, others at Staley Junior High School. The present Rome branch campus opened in 1974 in a portion of the former Oneida County Hospital on Floyd Ave., henceforth known as the Academic Building. The Plumley Complex was added to the Rome campus in 1991 in honor of then Oneida County Executive John D. Plumley, a major proponent of MVCC operating a campus in Rome.

In 2017, a $30 million renovation was completed in collaboration with Oneida County and New York State. During this renovation, the existing Academic Building was demolished, the existing Plumley Complex was expanded by 48,000 square feet with wings on either side, a new Support Building was added for Facilities, and improvements were made to the parking lots and quad.

Interior renovations included updating classroom space with modern equipment to allow for expansion of educational interpreting, surgical technician, unmanned aerial systems, cybersecurity, and STEM programs; merging the Library and Learning Center into a Learning Commons, which features four group study rooms, a conference room, a computer lab, math and writing labs, a testing center, and tutoring stations; adding a dining room, and updating the kitchens and cooking labs to be state-of-the-art for the Hospitality programs; and adding a 120-person community event room.

There are 10 degree programs and four certificate programs that are fully completable on the Rome Campus, including Rome-only programs such as Culinary Arts Management (A.O.S.), Hotel Technology (A.A.S), and Surgical Technology (Certificate).

Other programs that operate out of Rome, N.Y., include Airframe and Powerplant Technology and a Dental Hygiene joint program between MVCC and State University of New York at Canton.

MVCC’s Airframe and Powerplant Technology certificate program began in 2006 in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, and is the only community college-based aviation maintenance program in New York and one of only a few one-year programs in the country. Students in this program receive practical hands-on training at the Aviation Training Center in Rome, and are able to work on MVCC’s fleet of operational aircraft, including a Boeing 727-100, 2 Gulfstream GII business jets, a Bombardier Challenger 600, a twin engine Cessna 310, Piper PA-28-140, OH-58 Helicopter, and a variety of additional airframes as well as General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Allison/Rolls Royce jet engines, Lycoming and Continental reciprocating engines, and other aircraft equipment and simulators^[3]

International Students

MVCC gets exchange and international students from more than 20 countries all over the world, including Japan, Canada, Vietnam, Korea, Brazil, and China. The International Student Services Office assists them by providing an international student orientation, a mentor program, cultural workshops, trips, and events.^[4]

STEP

The purpose of STEP is to increase the number of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students prepared to enter higher education, and improve their participation rate in careers in mathematics, science, technology, health-related fields, and the licensed professions. STEP provides students with summer, afterschool, Saturday enrichment activities and field trips, standardized test preparation, academic enrichment classes, research and internship opportunities, college/career counseling, tutoring, and mentoring.

STEP serves seventh to 12th graders at Thomas R. Proctor High School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, Donovan Middle School, all located in Utica, N.Y., and the Utica Academy of Science Charter School. The program follows a cohort model approach in which seventh- and eighth- graders are focusing on awareness, ninth- and 10th-graders are focusing on applied experience, and 11th- and 12th-graders are focusing on college transitioning.

CSTEP

CSTEP is a New York State Education Department grant-funded enrichment initiative designed for college students whose majors are in the fields of science, math, engineering, technologies and allied health to foster academic excellence, cultivate student independence, enhance students’ college experience, and increase awareness and opportunities for historically and economically underrepresented college students

• In pre-professional or professional undergraduate study;
• Majoring in math, science, technology, and health related fields; or
• Seeking professional licensure^[5]

Learning Commons

The Learning Commons, the product of a Title III grant, is an integrated hub on each campus that combines a learning space, technology, and services to help students achieve their academic goals. Students can receive individualized and student-centered tutoring in a wide range of subjects, and mentored study groups and supplemental instruction provide additional support. Librarian support and completion coaches, employees dedicated to helping students reach degree completion, are also available to provide a holistic approach to eliminate any barriers to academic success. The Learning Commons also has computer workstations, scanners, and printers available to students^[6]

Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the official international honor society for two-year colleges. MVCC’s chapter is Lambda Beta, and has more than 225 members. Eligibility requirements include a 3.5 GPA, the completion of at least 12 credits that count toward a degree, current MVCC enrollment, and adhesion to the moral standards of the society. MVCC’s chapter participates in numerous service projects throughout the year with members donating hundreds of hours to the College and the local community^[7]

Diversity and Global View (DGV)

In order to graduate, all degree- and certificate-seeking students must fulfill a Diversity and Global View requirement. This requirement is fundamental to MVCC’s commitment to raising student awareness of the increasingly diverse, globalized environment. To fulfill the requirement, students must take DGV-designated courses, attend DGV-designated events, and complete online tutorials. Many of the College’s events in the Cultural Events Series have DGV designations^[8]

Achieving the Dream

In 2014, MVCC joined Achieving the Dream (ATD), the first college within the SUNY system to do so, as a commitment to increase student success, especially students of color and low-income students. At that time, there was a six-step process that included the following:

1. Commit to institutional change and improvement.
2. Use date to identify achievement gaps, assets, and obstacles relevant to student success and to prioritize action steps.
3. Design practices and policies to impact student success.
4. Implement, evaluate, and improve practices and policies impacting student success.
5. Fail fast and move on if evaluation indicates that results are not promising.
6. Sustain, continually improve, and validate practices and policies that have promising results.

Two teams were identified to lead these efforts – the Core Team and the Data Team. Over the next three years, the College undertook many new practices in a cohort-based model that had an impact on graduation rates raising them 10 percent from 2010 (21 percent) to 31 percent in 2013.

In the fall of 2018, the ATD teams were changed to the Student Success Council and the Council for Initiative Analytics lending themselves College-wide^[9]

Alumni

MVCC has more than 47,000 alumni, and approximately 20,000 of them reside in Central New York. The College’s graduates include CEOs of major businesses and non-profits, doctors, lawyers, school superintendents, and computer scientists. Specific notable graduates include:

• John Cody, Former CEO, J.C Penney, 1958
• Hal Cramer, Former Vice President, Exxon Mobil, 1969
• Greg Evans, CEO, Indium Corp. in Clinton, N.Y., 1979
• Sal Longo, CEO, Northern Safety, 1983
• Anthony Picente, Oneida County Executive, 1984
• Steve Mandia, President, Mandia International Trading Corp., 1985
• Karen Korotzer, CEO, The ARC Oneida Lewis Chapter, 1989
• Dr. Francis Migliaccio, Francis Eye and Laser Center, 1990
• Dr. Christopher Hazeltine, Assistant Principal, New Visions for Public Schools, 2002

College Community Connection (C3)

The College Community Connection partners with local community agencies to provide assistance, relief, and aid to students facing nonacademic barriers so they can focus on completing their educational goals. Services provided include, but are not limited to, an on-campus food pantry, free access to public transportation, help with child care needs, and emergency housing assistance^[10]

Office for Accessibility Resources

The MVCC Office for Accessibility Resources provides, coordinates, and facilitates federally mandated accommodations and services to students with disabilities, whatever those disabilities might be. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who are blind, deaf, learning disabled, or mobility impaired, those with chronic health-related impairments such as epilepsy or diabetes, and those with mental health and substance-related disabilities.

The services provided depend on the individual involved. In some cases, this might simply mean providing someone to talk to about concerns, advice about scheduling courses, or information about community service providers. At other times, it could involve the provision of enlarged print materials or electronic textbooks, assistance in locating a sign language interpreter, or the coordination of alternate testing arrangements. In all cases, the office’s goal is to help ensure that students and others with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate, to compete, and to succeed at MVCC^[11]

Adult Learner Services

Adult Learner Services provides individualized services to support and enhance the educational experience of non-traditional students. The College defines an adult learner as anyone over the age of 25, someone who works full-time, is a parent, or is an active military/veteran. The Adult Learner Services Office is responsible for a variety of initiatives on campus which include specialized Adult Degree Programs and courses; recognizing adult students through the SPIRE National Honor Society and Non-Traditional Student Week; collaborating with area businesses to offer College in the Workplace; and advising the Returning Adult Student Association on campus. In addition, the office assists dislocated workers with the completion of New York State Department of Labor paperwork associated with the 599 and Trade Act programs. One member of the office is staffed at the Utica Working Solutions Office during the work week^[12]

Veterans Education Services

The Veterans Education Services Office helps students through the traditional college processes and provides a comprehensive overview of VA Educational Benefits and DOD Educational Benefits. Its staff support students’ academic and career goals and help students with their transition to college. MVCC currently serves active military and veterans from all branches of the armed services and their dependents. Services provided include:

• Assisting active military/veterans and their dependents in applying for VA educational benefits and navigating them through the college enrollment process.
• Mentoring incoming veterans to help with course planning and setting their educational goals to ensure academic success.
• Providing scholarship information and available community resources.
• Providing assistance in applying for federal and state financial aid.
• Assisting veterans in applying for the Veterans Administration Work Study Program.
• Assisting veterans with submitting military transcripts for transfer credit evaluation, if applicable^[13]

LGBTQIA+ Resources

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (formerly Gay/Straight Alliance) is an active student group providing opportunities for students to gain leadership skills, build community, and impact the College climate. College-wide initiatives have led to the formation of a Faculty/Staff led LGBTQIA+ Committee designed to support LGBTQIA+ services on campus. The purpose of this committee is to proactively support lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and ally students, faculty, and staff and provide opportunities to educate our diverse community. This committee has worked to advocate for the creation of gender and sexual identity-inclusive college policies, including a Preferred Name policy, to provide ‘Safe Space’ Training and other related educational opportunities to the College community, to install gender-inclusive restrooms across campus, and to collaborate with community partners and agencies to promote a welcoming and supportive college environment. The committee works continuously to raise awareness and support the success of LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, staff, and community members^[14]

Housing/Residence Life

MVCC Utica Campus; Residence Halls; North Halls

MVCC Residence Hall Interior

MVCC has five residence halls — Daugherty, Huntington, Penfield, Butterfield, and Bellamy — that together house approximately 500 students. Each hall houses a professional, live-in staff member; a mix of single-, double-, and triple-occupancy rooms; study areas open 24/7.

Dining

All residential students must have a dining plan through MVCC’s provider, Sodexo Campus Services. Each plan has a specific number of meals available throughout the week and declining balance “Hawk Dollars” to be used outside of the dining halls. Commuter students also may purchase a dining plan, with “Hawk Only” plans available. There is a main dining hall, the Snack Bar; a Resident Dining Hall; and Sammie’s Sandwich Shop for grab-and-go options^[15]

Student Activities

MVCC’s co-curricular program is student-directed and -oriented. Students decide on the kinds of clubs, organizations, activities, and special events that happen at MVCC, providing opportunities for intellectual and individual growth; experience in planning events, activities, and programs; fiscal responsibility; and group leadership.

Clubs and Organizations

At MVCC, there are many clubs and organizations for students to participate in. Some groups are related to academic majors, others to individual interests, religious, and honor societies. All offer students “hands-on” opportunities and combined with classroom learning, creates a well-rounded college experience for those who chose to participate. There are more than 50 on-campus clubs and organizations, including Student Congress, Criminal Justice Club, Drama Club, International Club, Latino and Black student unions, Psychology Club, Returning Adult Student Association, Strategic Gaming Club, Student Nurses Organization, and Welders Among the Community^[16]

Events and Guest Services

The Office of Events and Guest Services at MVCC is split into four key categories, which include the MVCC Box Office (ticketing), MVCC Cultural Series (the College’s bi-annual events and entertainment series), Facility Use (facilities rental, conferencing, and event coordination), and Graduation (Spring and Fall Commencement Ceremonies). Events and Guest Services continues to serve as one of the primary links between the community and the College, bringing more than 50,000 guests to the Rome and Utica campuses each year.

More than 60 different off-campus facility users/community organizations use the College’s facilities each year, most of which use multiple dates throughout the year, with an approximate attendance of more than 40,000 people.

The MVCC Cultural Series brings lectures, concerts, comedy, theatre, and more to the entire community. Events and Guest Services hosts more than 90 events each semester, with an average on-campus attendance of more than 8,000 people per semester. Multiple times throughout the year, this series hosts a keynote event (whether concert or lecture) within the Robert R. Jorgensen Athletic/Event Center. The list of performers and guests include Maya Angelou, Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Gabby Douglas, Nick Jonas, Grace VanderWaal, Kacey Musgraves, Phillip Phillips, Wale, and Rob Schneider^[17]

Team MVCC

Each year, faculty, staff, and students come together as Team MVCC to promote community activities that provide visibility and meaningful contribution of participants on behalf of the College. Since the creation of the committee in 2010, Team MVCC has raised more than $464,000. Of that, $171,363 was raised for local non-profit organizations and $292,657 for the MVCC Foundation’s college scholarships and initiatives. Team MVCC members participate in a variety of events, including the Alex Kogut Run/Walk, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, American Heart Association Heart Run/Walk, Veteran’s Center Food Drive, and many others^[18]

Foundation

The MVCC Foundation Inc. was established in 1966 to secure private sector support to supplement and enhance public funding at the College. The Foundation is a 501 c(3) nonprofit corporation that solicits, accepts, manages, invests, and distributes contributions and communicates with donors and prospects regularly. It serves as a repository for all private, non-governmental gifts and support received on behalf of the College.

CCED

The Center for Corporate and Community Education was originally founded in 1998. Under the direction of President Michael I. Schafer, MVCC combined the departments of “Community Education” and “Corporate Programs” and formed the Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), later changed to the Center for Corporate & Community Education. The first executive director was Don Reese (1998-2004).

CCED became the premier provider of both non-credit community education and corporate training programs, not only in Oneida County but throughout the Mohawk Valley region of Central New York. Over the first few years, CCED formed partnerships with national firms such as CSX Railroad and Sage, Inc. With CSX, the College developed a comprehensive program to train railroad freight conductors. The MVCC partnership with Sage, Inc., led to the development of the largest tractor-trailer driving program in the Mohawk Valley. Additional partnerships, in cooperation with MVCC academic departments, led to the development of an airframe mechanics program at the former Griffiss Air Base. From 1998 to 2004, CCED developed the largest insurance training program in the Mohawk Valley.

At the same time, the non-credit Community Education programs continued to grow. While swimming programs and “College for Kids” were always successful, CCED added motorcycle training through a partnership with “Go Motorcycling, Inc.” Personal enrichment programs for adults, including arts, dance, cooking, health and wellness, aquatics, and foreign language programs, all flourished. With changes in technology, the arrival of the internet, and laptops, CCED led the way in community education for computer users at every age. Professional development programs offered for adults include real estate training, security guard training, teacher training programs, and more. Non-credit health care training programs also thrived because of an increasing job market.

iServe Mohawk Valley

In 2015, the College received a grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to begin a volunteerism program focused on combatting hunger and food insecurities in the City of Rome. Community partners signed on to be recipients of iServe volunteers, including The Rome Rescue Mission, Ava Dorfman Senior Center, the Salvation Army, and Loaves and Fishes Outreach Center. Volunteers are recruited from the student body, faculty, staff, and the community.

During the program’s first year, 15 volunteers helped to prep, cook, and serve meals at the partner sites, clean and organize pantry shelves, and deliver meals to the homebound. Since then, the volunteer base has swelled to more than 400, and there are now seven partner sites. In addition to the work being done with the Rome Partner sites, iServe now supplies food and volunteers to two different soup kitchens in Utica: Mother Marianne’s West Side Soup Kitchen and the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.

Signature programs developed in the second year also include:

• Food Recovery Network, through which, in conjunction with Sodexo Dining Services, food that has been prepared but not served is “rescued” from the Resident Dining Hall. Recipients are Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen and The Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, both in Utica. This two-pronged effort helps our campus with sustainability while feeding the hungry in our community.
• Fresh Food giveaways is a program in which foods that have reached their “Sell-by” but not “Expiration” date are collected from grocery stores and delivered to the Rome Campus for monthly distribution to those in need.
• Campus Cupboard is a student food pantry, birthed from an innovation grant, where students can receive a snack, meal, food to take home, hygiene products, school supplies, and interview clothes.

In the program’s third year, raised garden beds were installed on the Rome Campus with the help of Mohawk Valley YouthBuild, who constructed the beds, and College Works, whose students volunteer to water and tend the gardens. New partners were also added including Down Dogs Farms – CSA in Westmoreland and Cluster 13, a combination of gardens, a food pantry, and a thrift store in Camden.

Volunteers also participate in three local Days of Service, during which they donate concentrated manpower to community organizations^[19]

Overall Record